


Out of Time

by NovaDevil



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Canon Divergence - Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Character Death, Heavy Angst, M/M, Modern Bucky Barnes, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Sokovia Accords, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Steve Rogers Feels, The Author Regrets Everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 02:56:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20074984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovaDevil/pseuds/NovaDevil
Summary: At the age of 16 Bucky was given his timer.Everyone gets theirs at different ages and by some fucked up logic no one knows which timer they got. They either have some time to meet their soulmate or some time for said soulmate to die.





	Out of Time

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a tumblr prompt.

At the age of 16 Bucky was given his timer.

Everyone gets theirs at different ages and by some fucked up logic no one knows which timer they got. They either have some time to meet their soulmate or some time for said soulmate to die. He's heard some people say that soulmates are given their timers at the same time, no matter where they are in the world. It would be poetic if it didn't scare him.

They come in the form of something similar to watches so they're easy to keep everywhere. Bucky's had some decent number of years when he got it and now at 28 and standing in the conference room, glancing over at it, he finds his timer reading 1 hour.. he hadn't even noticed.

One hour.  
He's gonna meet them here? At work, really? This is so not romantic.

Today is the day they sign the Sokovia Accords, the avengers (or some of them) should be here in a bit and hopefully get this over with so he can go and see who's about to steal his heart. They better be cute.

Another fleeting thought crossed his mind but he shut it down quickly. He's not gonna think about that particular situation unless he absolutely has to.

He decides to go outside and have a smoke until it's time for the conference, the president is safe and secure with the rest of the special security and he has someone to swap with too. Everything should be fine.

————————————————————————————————————

Steve did _not_ want to do this.

If it wasn't for Wanda's devastated state and Tony's pushing, he wouldn't even be here.  
Here as in the fucking quinjet and heading to Vienna for that UN conference to legitimize the Accords.

He hates it and Nat is giving him that look again like he's about to fall apart. Maybe he is. Everything happening took a toll on him and Peggy's death just added to the long list of everyone he lost.

He keeps looking everywhere and checking his clothes to pass time. When he's adjusting the sleeves of his suit jacket he takes note of the time as it reads 38 minutes and counting down at the same time he hears Davis, their pilot, say:

"We're 30 minutes out"

Huh! That's happening then.. he's not sure how to feel about this, now of all times.

He's just been so, _so_ lonely.

When Steve first got his timer, he thought it was broken or something was wrong with it. Because it said that he had like 80 years or something and he was already sixteen at the time, they told him it was just fine and that's just the number he got, whatever the hell that meant.  
Then he went into the ice and woke up in 2012 and things began to make sense.  
He'd hoped Peggy would be his soulmate but she lived and died and his timer stayed the same. He's glad she had a good life though, she told him as much too.

Touching down on the grounds of Vienna, he steals himself for whatever is about to come, Accords and the other thing.

———————————————————————————————————

Bucky sees the quinjet landing from a distance.  
_Well, it's time then_.  
He goes back inside and takes his position by the door, making eye contact with the rest of his team, verifying everyone's exactly where they're supposed to be and stands firm.

King T'chaka and his son arrive, taking the stand.

Then Natasha or Black Widow walks in followed by Steve Rogers. The king starts to say his speech then-

** _Boom_ **

Everything happens so fast. An explosion.  
The king is down and Bucky is shouting into the coms to secure the president while trying to take cover himself in case another attack is coming.

He finds a steel door the was knocked off by the explosion held for coverage and scrambles to get behind it, making sure to confirm with the team that the president has been taken to safety, he huffs out in relief.

_At least he's safe_

When he looks for the first time to see who's holding the door and welcoming him in cover he sees him.

"Bucky Barnes, US special security." He pulls out his badge hastily to show him.

"I am Steve Rogers" and he gestures at himself as If anyone would mistake him for someone else. But Bucky sees something else while they shake hands quickly- Steve's timer, it reads...  
2, 1.. Zero

Steve sees where he's looking and turns his wrist to see for himself with puzzled look that turns into a smile.. a dazzling smile that is now directed at him.

"Nice to finally meet you, Bucky"

Captain America is his soulmate.  
That's just.. wow.

They both check out the perimeter and make sure there's no more threat before coming out from behind the door, Steve offers him a helping a hand and he goes to accept it when he sees..  
His hand hangs mid-air and dread replaces the warmth that was just spreading inside him a few seconds ago

A few seconds

9

"No"

8

"No, no, no please, _please_ no,not now, please"

7

"Bucky?" And Steve's looking at his hand now too.

6

"I'm sorry, I'm- Steve please no"

5

"This isn't fair. This isn't fucking fair." He knows he sounds hysterical. A hand taking his. Steve sits by his side again on the ground.

4

"It's okay, Buck. I'm gonna be okay" and he holds him tighter.

3

"I'll be here. I'm with you till the end of the line, Steve" They hold on to each other. Tears fighting to escape horrified eyes.

"End of the line, Bucky"

2

Steve doesn't wanna be alone now that he found him.

1

Bucky doesn't want to let him go.

0

"Steve?" He feels it soaking through to his own clothes but he won't let go. He doesn't wanna see. Doesn't want to accept it.  
"We just found each other.. pl-please.."

He holds him until Natasha comes back, until the medics arrive and have to physically pull him away from his arms. By that time there was so much blood on his own clothes they almost thought the bullet crossed through to him.  
He almost wishes it did.

Bucky knows now which timer he was given.  


The words **_End of The Line_** end up being carved on two headstones,

They're buried 5 feet next to each other, 40 years apart.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think?


End file.
